A long, long time ago … a young singer-songwriter called Don McClean emerged with a song – American Pie – which made the world stand still. That was, amazingly, fifty years ago, and the troubadour has been out on tour recently to celebrate.
It may be the fact that Don has a girlfriend 48 years his junior, or it may simply be the love of the music, but the man who turned 78-years old on the day of this gig strode out onto the stage both sprightly and determined, as though fires still needed to be lit and the end is nowhere near. It was back in 1959 (so the story goes) that a young Don was delivering newspapers when he saw the headline ‘The Day The Music Died’ – the headline that would change not only his life, but the direction of contemporary popular music forever.
Universally renowned, McClean began by saying how much he loved to visit Liverpool, and how often he’d played the Philharmonic Hall over the years – one of the world’s great theaters. He then rambled (not always, it must be said, in finest voice – though it warmed up nicely as he went along) through interesting selections from his back catalogue, from the debut album Tapestry to the delightful covers album Playin’ Favourites, and his beautifully melancholy and reflective Botanical Gardens.
The gasps from a riveted audience when McClean suddenly began Vincent is a moment worth savouring – and it truly is one of the great singer-songwriter compositions of our times. Coincidentally, it was indeed a starry starry night, and McClean certainly painted all of our palettes more than blue and gray during this memorable performance. It was the first time during the evening that he raised a standing ovation – as much for the impact of the actual song on so many people’s lives as the actual performance.
McClean’s seemingly never ending take on Woodie Guthrie’s Ramblin’ seemed to rouse further audience participation despite somewhat irritable repetition, but the moment that most people had been waiting for was just round the corner – the masterpiece, American Pie. Covered by many artists down the years, including a chart-topping version by Madonna in 2000 (something Don himself never achieved this side of the pond), Liverpool stood to attention as if this was a notable historic moment – and it surely was. There wasn’t a dry voice in the house as we all danced our way through the near 9-minute epic and then saluted the writer – the master – who surely must wonder where it all came from in the first place.
McClean strode back out for an encore – a rarity on this tour – and it was a version of the crowd pleasing Elvis Presley standard, Heartbreak Hotel, before the man of the moment and his brilliant band soaked up a raucous, Liverpool twinged standing ovation under the backdrop of the legendary album cover for American Pie. Another legend, another fine evening of nostalgia, and another nod to a classic songwriter who may have tipped his hat to Liverpool for the last time.
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